Improvement in seam-pressing mechanisms



C. W. GOLLYER. Seam Pressing Mechanism.

No. 201,994. PatentedApr| 2,1878.,

"PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHIE. WSHINTON. C. I

UNITED ASvflrrrrrn.'e Pern CHARLES COLLYER, OF LYNN, MASS., ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS RIGHT TO LYMAN A. MAY AND A. EDWIN WITHEY, ,QF PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN sEAM-PRESSING MECHANISMS.,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,994, dated Apri1f2,v1878; application iiled February 18,1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. GoLLYER, of Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massai chusetts, have invented an Improvement in Seam-Pressing Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to improvements in seamfpressing mechanism, specially applicable to pressing seams in leather and cloth used in the manufacture of bootsand shoes, o r other purposes. v a

In this invention the material containing the seam to be pressed or smoothed, and opened, is placed on a support, over which it is moved, so that the seam is first Opened by a rotating seam-opener, after which the seam is pressed or ironed by a rotary ironer. Wheels at eachv side this support hold up ,the material being acted upon, and assist in feeding the material forward. The drawing also shows the interposition of a presser between the opener and ironer.

The support may be either substantially at for plain seams, or grooved for welt or corded seams, so as not to flatten the cord-welt, or may have a knife, and, it desired, an inking apparatus, to trim awelt and black it, as hereinafter described.

Figure l represents, in front elevation, an apparatus showing a practical embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a section through the sustainin g-rollers and support, with the presser above it; Fig. 4, a section and plan of a support adapted to trim and ink a welt; Fig. 5, a modied form of sustaining-rollers, and Fig. 6 a section of a grooved support for a corded seam.

The frame-work a of the machine, of suitable shape to hold the working parts, has a main shaft, b, driven in any suitable way, to which is attached one of the sustaining-wheels d, it having a grooved pulley, o, which, by means of a band, e, passed about sheaves 2 3 4, is made to rotate a pulley, f, on the axis of the ironing-wheel g, held in frame h, a rod eX- tended upward therefrom passing through a spring, i, and through a guide, j, where the end of the rod is provided with adjusting devices to raiseeor lower it with relation to the seam-support l, placed between the sustainingwheels d and d. The ironing-roller g has atl its lopposite end a pulley, which, by means of a suitable band or otherwise, is connected with pulleym On the shaftof the seamopener 0, haring e rib er rrejeetine .ennulns .6, te enter the .seem te be opened This ,seam- Opener is -efnred .in the frame r1, ered 'from the frame extending upward through a spring, q, and a guide, r, where it .is ,connected with e riveted lever, e .connected Yby link t with e needle, oreqnivelent lever, u, which, when Edepressed by vthe foot for` otherwise, lifts the Seam-Opener from the .support for the introduetonef the materiel between thelll- The frames 0r yekes h are connected .bye 1in-bw, which serves as the bearing for the .Shank 0f the .frame n, auch `shank carrying .at .its lower end a ,roller-presser, 8, preferably grooved longitudinally, and made of larger diameter at its center than at yits ends, ythe' grooves in the presser and its cenlarged eentra1porton acting to prevent the liability of the material being preesedfrenl turning aside outef the proper direct line of motionbver-the support l. The shank of the frame .fr is passed through a spiral spring, y, and at thevtop of the shank is an adjusting device or nut, l0, to alter the force of the presser.

When a plain seam is to be opened and pressed, the united material in which the seam has been formed is spread out, the right face of the material is placed upon the support l, having substantially a fiat surface, and the annular rib 6 of the seam-opener is placed between the edges of the united material, such rib and opener, under pressure of the spring q, co-operating with the support to openv the seam fully. The material then passes to and under the ironer, the substantially at surface of which, operating upon the turned-over portions of the edges of the united material resting upon the support below it, irons and presses the seam smooth and sets it. The presser between the opener and ironer prevents the material rising at such point, and the teeth of the presser-roller act to prevent the material from being turned aside from its course.

When a corded-welt or plain-welt seam is being opened and pressed, to prevent the welt bein g too much flattened, the support is grooved I longitudinally,fas'v at 12, Fig. 6`. `Whenfit is desired to trim out a Welt, the support lis to be provided with a knife-block, 14, and if the edge of the Welt is to be blacked after being cut, an inking-roller, 15, or equivalent device, situated in an ink-holding chamber, will be employed to apply the ink to the Welt-edge. The groove 16 along the top of the support will receive and guide the edge ofthe trimmed Welt.

If desired, a small piece of india-rubber may be placed on the support l, at the point opposite Which the rib 6 bears or projects into the seam, to prevent therib from injuring the stitches.

The sustaining-wheels d d', sustaining the material, act to feed it. The surface velocity ofthe peripheries of the rollers dd', and opener and ironer, may be varied with relation to each other, to produce more or less friction on the passing material. As the lever s lifts the seamopener and presser, the link w acts to somewhat lift the ironer. In some` cases it is desirable to iron or press a seam connecting a tubular p0rtion with some other portion. In such case the Wheel d is so connected with a portion of the axle or shaft b of Wheel d that it may be moved away from such Wheel d far enough to permit the passage of the tubular article between and about the Wheels, when they will be again brought together for the seamedvmaterial to rest upon them to be ironed. Fig. 5 shows the Wheels d d so modified.

The pipe x2 may convey gas or steam, or other heating material, to the support l to heat it.

p I claim- '1. The combination, vwith the support, of a seam-opener and a rotating ironer, to operate substantially as described.

2. The support combined with the rotary seam-opener, having a rib, 6, substantiallyas described.' l y f 3. The support, rotary seam-opener, and ro'- tating surfaces d d'pat the sides of the support,

to operate substantially as described.

4. The support and rotary seam-opener, combined with the intermediate presser, to operate substantially as described.

5. The support and ironer combined with the presser-roller, made largest at or near its center, substantially as described.

6. The support and rotary'seam-opener, combined with a lever to lift the seam-opener for the introduction of the material under it, substantially as described.

7. The seam opener and ironer, and their carrying-frames and depressing-springs, in combination With the link 1connecting the frames, substantially as described;

8. The seam-opener combined with the supl 11. A seam opener and ironer combined ,with the'support and welt-trimming` mechanism, to operate substantially as described.

12. The support l, seam opener and ironer,

`in combination with mechanism to 'heat the` support, substantially/,as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two sub? scribing Witnesses. p

p CHARLES W. GOLLYER.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, L. A. BAXTER. 

